02/21/2012

Many Americans are on a high sugar, high grain and low fat diet this can actually be devastating for your health.

A study published in the Journal of Diabetes published in 1998 reported that two thirds of their test subjects who were insulin resistant (IR) had high blood pressure. This was directly attributed to a high sugar high grain diet and INSUFFICIENT AMOUNTS OF EXERCISE.

The implication of this is, if you have hypertension (High blood pressure) you probably have poorly controlled blood sugar. As insulin elevates, so does your blood pressure.

Another issue here is, insulin stores magnesium, and if your insulin receptors are insufficient, and your cells become insulin resistant, you can’t store magnesium in your cells so it passes through you and is lost in your urination. Magnesium stored in cells relaxes muscles.

Many years ago I met the Canadian author, Pat Joudry. She had been struggling to write and publish her most cherished idea, “Twin Souls”. Somehow the book could not find its completion – until we met and collaborated. She, the author and romantic, I the very grounded, academic psychiatrist.

The book was published and is still in print.

On the way we encountered many people who were seeking their twin soul relationship. Some just longing, some running away, and some just plunging in.

Indeed, the good match between two people is a most wondrous thing – and the discovery can lead to a long union, with fulfillment and joy. But, as one comedian (Bob Hope I think it was) exclaimed, it is the day-by-day stuff that is so hard. And indeed it is.

It is hard for two personalities to live side by side. Each has his/her own way, own preferences, own way of looking at things, and own assuredness. This leads to conflict - but it can lead to growth.

The good marriage is one in which there is a good mesh of personalities, but it requires more. Differences must be met and adjusted, not by one giving in, one to the other – that won’t last. But by building tolerance, patience, and the unique kind of understanding that comes when one (each) suspends his/her own assurety and becomes the other for a moment; then everything quiets down. More than that, there is growth in understanding, a closer closeness, and stronger psychological muscles in each of the partners. It is a growth that comes with commitment to each other, a growth that comes with stronger patience, and a growth that comes with a deeper kind of empathy.

The many years of marriage based on this kind of understanding, creates vines that grow between people.

01/16/2012

People naturally want to know how good their service providers are. This goes for different industry types, including electric providers, cable providers and insurance coverage providers.

In terms of insurance, there are a few things you can do to know if you have a good coverage provider.

1. Check reviews

You may have been with your current provider for a long time, but never really knew what other people think about your provider. You should check for any customer reviews on your insurance company. For example, a quick Google or Yahoo search for TSC Direct reviews would turn up results that gave prospective customers an overview of what other customers think about TSC Direct.

2. Compare your coverage's policy terms with other policy terms

Good insurance is more than just cheap prices. A great insurance company is any company that can provide you excellent coverage for affordable prices. Therefore, you should compare your company's policy to other company policies. You may discover that other companies can offer you the same coverage for less. However, do not fall into the trap of being attracted to a cheap insurance provider. Even though saving hundreds of dollars a year sounds great, you may end up with a company that does very little to help you in times of need.

3. Consult with an insurance broker

This may be a drastic measure, but an insurance broker can give you an honest assessment of your insurance, compared to other insurance providers. Unlike agents, brokers do not work for a single insurance company; therefore, they are not pressured to making you purchase a specific company's insurance. An insurance broker can help you find new insurance, or discover if the insurance you currently have is best.

The insurance you own is important for you and your family. Don't settle for less. Do your research to discover if your insurance provider is the best for you.

Choosing an insurance provider can be a difficult and stressful decision. However, people usually stay with their provider for many years after they choose them. Of course, this does not mean that there aren't other better providers on the market. Often times, many people grow tired of their insurance provider. Rates can go up, and policies tend to change. If you are not happy with your insurance provider, here are some tips to help you find a new one or help you decide if you should stay with your current provider.

1. Consider hiring a broker

An insurance broker can help you find the most affordable insurance without you doing any work. Though you may pay an additional fee to hire an insurance broker, he or she can take most of the stress out of finding a new insurance provider.

2. Compare policies

Most people make the common mistake of just comparing prices. Your provider's policy is just as important as the monthly or annual price you pay. You may think you are choosing an excellent insurance provider, until you get in an accident and discover that your provider doesn't cover the type of accident you just had. For example, searching for a company like TSC Direct on Google will pull up lots of reviews and pricing information.

3. Consult with your current provider

Before you make a final decision to switch providers, you should talk with your current provider first. Don't let them know that you are planning to switch companies, rather see if you can negotiate your current policy. You may find out that switching providers isn't your best course of action.

It may be necessary for you to switch providers. If you are unhappy with your insurance provider, then take these tips to help you find a new provider. Always do your research and take a couple days to think before ever making a huge decision.

It is a common tendency for people to want to switch insurance providers. However, switching providers may not always be the best option. Here are some ways to tell if you should stick with your insurance provider.

1. Check the policy agreement

Most people only consider price as the main deciding factor when choosing an insurance provider. However, the policy agreement is very important. You may enjoy spending less on car insurance, but when you get in an accident, you may discover that your insurance doesn't cover the type of auto damage that occurred. Suddenly, saving 10 dollars a month on car insurance doesn't really matter to you anymore.

2. Check reviews

Before making a decision to switch providers, search for reviews for different companies, including your own insurance provider. For example, before you choose to go with TSC Direct, even after talking with different agents, do a quick Google search for "TSC Direct reviews." You will find out what their current customers think about the company.

3. Check with your agent

Most people switch insurance providers because they feel like they can get a better deal with another company. If your rates were recently raised or your policies were changed, try calling your provider to see if you can negotiate your policy or rates. Explain that you would like them to remain the same and see what they can do to help keep them that way. If nothing can be done, then perhaps you should try searching for another provider. However, often times, insurance agents can modify your policy to be the way you want it.

Hopefully these tips help you decide if you should stick with your insurance provider. Choosing insurance can be difficult; staying with the same company for a long period can be even more difficult.

11/24/2011

The most current ideas regarding choice of temperature therapy from the American College of Sports Physicians:

Heat feels good, softens tissues, brings blood into the area and provides a womb-like soothing sensation.

Ice, on the other hand, seems jarring by comparison. It's cold, hardens tissues, and is anything BUT soothing.

The choice of Ice versus Heat therapy is not decided by what feels better when applied, but should depend on the timing of the injury. Current thinking is that the first seventy-two hours after a new/acute injury, nothing but ice should be used. Beyond this the opinions very, but most practitioners believe for the first one to two weeks after a new injury, "Ice is the most important" and keep the heat to a minimum if its used at all.

"Contrast Therapy" can start from two weeks to a month after onset of a new injury. In my San Francisco Chiropractic practice I find that patients often misunderstand this concept. The correct way to use contrast therapy is ten minutes of Heat, followed by alternating one-minute doses of Ice, Heat, Ice, Heat, Ice, Heat, Ice, Heat, and ending with Ice. end with ice.

The simplified version of Contrast Therapy is ten minutes of heat followed by five minutes of ice but this doesn’t create the pumping action as the alternating method.

When we apply ice we are trying to create, "The Hunting-Lewis Reaction". In school we remembered this with the acronym C-BAN which stands for cold, burning, aching, numb. These are the four phases of the Hunting-Lewis Reaction and are due to alternating vaso-constriction and vaso-dilation.

Cold due to vaso-constriction, Burning as warm blood flows into the area due to vaso-dilation, aching due to vaso-constriction and finally, the desired effect, Numb, which is the ultimate analgesic effect of Ice therapy. These four phases create a pumping action in the immediate area which has more than one therapeutic effect. Pain relief, removing waste products from the cells, and decreasing swelling.

How I help my patients remember the proper icing protocol is “Ice Ice Baby”. Everyone remembers that song and what I want them to remember from this is the number two. Twenty minutes of ice, two hours between applications. This is to allow the tissues to warm back up prior to the next application.

One can ice two different area (If there are more than one area of pain or injury.) for instance you can ice a thigh and low back one after the other.

Where people often misunderstand me is they think they have to ice EVERY two hours. No not the case. Icing once in a day isn’t enough however, try to ice three to four times over the course of your day.

People have a preference one way or another but I prefer ice packs over ice in a baggie. Ice packs are not quite as cold as raw ice, and they stay cold only for about twenty minutes, which is the appropriate length of time. Don’t place an ice pack right on the skin, it can actually cause a burn. Have a towel or at least a T-shirt between the ice and your skin.

11/07/2011

Well-established businesses are often slow to adopt new technology. After all, if something is not broken, why fix it? In a troubled economy, however, even the most stubborn of business executives are looking for ways to cut spending, reduce consumption, and find ways to lessen the sting of software and hardware investments.

The technology behind enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has evolved to meet these modern needs, and the days of a business needing to purchase “big iron” (large servers hungry for electricity) and large sum per-seat licenses for business management software may soon be over. For that to occur, they must be willing to open their minds to the concept of software as a service (SaaS).

SaaS ERP eliminates two hurdles that may prevent a company from an initial ERP purchase or a future upgrade: expensive hardware and large investments for software. SaaS provides customers with new model, often subscription-based, where the ERP system is hosted off-site in the cloud. The vendor provides access to it as a service for a specified period of time. There is no need to buy a server or maintain complex IT infrastructure, as one would with on-premise ERP systems.

With such enticing benefits, one may wonder why, according to Forrester Research, only 2 percent of global ERP revenue comes from the SaaS licensing model. Much of the reluctance stems from misconceptions, such as the belief that cloud technology is less secure than on-premise solutions where you have full control. For proof against that belief, one need only look at the robust and highly fortified network that Microsoft has created for hosting its cloud services. You can find a list of Microsoft partners that offer hosting services on the ERP Software Blog Hosting Provider Directory.

Ultimately, businesses will come around and see the benefits of SaaS ERP offerings. Getting started now will help your business get an edge over the competition. You should contact a Microsoft Partner to learn how.

06/16/2011

The price of Microsoft CRM depends on the level of implementation support but mostly on the license and installation type. Thus, it's best to understand the licenses. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online involves three types of licenses:

User Subscription License (USL): The license provides read-write access to Microsoft Dynamics CRM functionality. It is a non-perpetual license unlike licenses purchased outright and the access will be available only so long as the customer is current on subscription payments. And unlike outright purchases where the customer will have to purchase Software Assurance to access the latest features, USL provides access to the most up-to-date version of the CRM automatically.

Step-up User Subscription License (Step-up USL): Step-up USL provides access to Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online to users who have purchased perpetual software licenses (Client Access Licenses - CALs and Software Assurance - SA). The perpetual licenses might have been purchased under Enterprise Agreement, Enterprise Subscription Agreement or Campus / School Agreement. This model is intended to protect customers’ existing investments in Microsoft licensing and requires that they maintain and renew the SA agreements (failure to do so will mean that they will have to buy the USL instead of the Step-up USL). The customer does not get perpetual rights to the CRM Online which grants only non-perpetual rights as under USL.

Additional Storage Add-on License: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online comes with five gigabytes of storage. If the customer requires additional storage space, subscription based licenses can be purchased for additional storage in one gigabyte units.

Subscription licenses are needed for each internal user in the organization, such as its employees, affiliates, contractors or agents. The customer need not, however, purchase a license for any external user who accesses the Service without using any of the software.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online licenses are always for read-write access. There is no model that provides read only access. However, the CRM system allows the customer to configure user accounts and restrict some users to read-only access. If you are interested in Microsoft Dynamics CRM product, you may want to check out the cost of dynamics CRM.

Yesterday I overheard some guy in in the elevator turn to his buddy and say:

"Something I’ve never understood about plane crashes – you know how they have to identify the crash victims by their dental records? If you don’t know whose body it is, how the hell are you supposed to know how to get in touch with their dentist?"